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I think er-Rahman is an attribute tough to translate. If there is punishment involved how correct would it be to say "All Merciful" for er-Rahman? Maybe "Most Merciful" stands better.

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PS: When I referred to the class/colour divide of today, I was not implying that blatant apartheid exists. One must nevertheless be aware and vigilant about the subtle forms of segregation or discrimination or attitudes that do prevail. We still have a long way to go before all human beings are truly convinced that all human beings are equal before God (the criteria we use to classify human beings as inferior or superior mean nothing to Him; and spiritually enlightened tell us that the spiritual world has a different set of laws) and behave in accordance with the godlike nature in all of us, which remains a mere potential if we do not consciously seek to cultivate it in whatever way possible. Mother Theresa set a very good example through her life.

Seeker of Truth wrote To Ross (August 26, 2007 12:48 AM)

"For your Information Hindu India is not as undivided as you think. Hindues are devided in caste and subcaste system within themselves. In some parts of India A lower caste Hindu can not even enter into a temple or even walk on the same street. If you want to see real India you have to spend years to get to know real India."

Seeker of Truth, I do agree there is a rose tinted glass version of India as perceived by some tourists and short time guests. However I still am of the opinion, your version of Hinduism is a bit unfair when it is generalised as you have done.

I can only speak for the part of India and the rest of India I knew about for twenty eight years until December 1987.

I'm sure you are aware, Seeker of Truth, that India is a secular democracy, NOT a Hindu theocracy and NEVER has been. Luckily Hinduism has no provision for theocracy. The priest Brahmins, although members of the highest caste, are after all only responsible for the religious affairs of society, and do have a big say in setting up rules of society and act as advicers to the rulers, nevertheless do not directly rule the people, which is left to the (lower ranking) Kshatriya caste. The ideals and philosophy of Hinduism were after all worked out by sannyasis, rishis and sages, who dedicated their whole lives to the experience of God and lived strictly ascetic lives without allowing themselves to be corrupted by the materialistic values of society.

Hinduism does not persecute people of other religions and NEVER has. The recent brand of militant Hinduism (including strong opposition to work by missionaries to spread Christianity, and it must be said in all fairness that the opposition arises partly because Hindus wrongly perceive Christianity as being delivered along with the Western culture, alienating Indians from their roots and pride in their own culture - something that Dom Bede Griffiths tried to remedy by practising Christianity in the context of the Indian culture) propogated by EXTREMELY FEW in certain parts of India, has NOTHING to do with real Hinduism. That is why the development does great injustice to and is a sad testimony for the great and universal con-federation of religions that Hinduism is, all its limitations notwithstanding.

It is true that in the past Hindus associated socially only with people of their own caste and subcastes. Gandhi pointed out to the shameful fact of the existence of untouchables. The Nambudiris of Kerala were particularly notorious for their tendency not to mix with any other caste, with rituals of purification required, more stringent of that of the most Orthodox Jew. They considered even Brahmins from other states inferior to them and there is a hierarchy even within the Nambudiri community!!! Early Nambudiri converts to Christianity continued to practise some of these Nambudiri customs for a long time (one of the main reasons why there was no attempt made at evangelisation and Christianity remained within Kerala despite its early arrival).

The situation you describe, namely that "a lower caste Hindu cannot even enter into a temple or walk on the same side of the street" (a common practice among Nambudiris until not long ago; practised to the disgrace of Christianity, even by some Christians of Nambudiri origin until the generation of my great grandfather; I'm told that the paddy field workers of my maternal great grandfather for instance had to clear the path and "disappear" to a safe distance when his "highness" walked along the path) is no longer practised.

I'm sure some forms of such grotesque behaviour was practised by the rich in all cultures until not long ago. If one is brutally honest, one must admit that the class/colour divide today the world over is a different version of the caste system.

Seeker of Truth, it would be good if you could provide some concrete examples of where such practice that you mentioned still exists in India. I know about the harsh treatment meted out to some tribal communities by higher caste Hindus in some parts of India (Catholic nuns and priests who try to help the tribals have had to face much opposition for that reason). India needs to weed out such practices as quickly as possible. Gandhi called attention to such unfair segregation practices and did his bit to stop it. It is up to every Indian to do their mite - and exposing the practice is the first step.

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To Ross

For your Information Hindu India is not as undevided as you think. Hindues are devided in caste and subcaste system within themselves. In some parts of India A lower caste Hindu can not even enter into a temple or even walk on the same street. If you want to see real India you have to spend years to get to know real India.

well thank you ian- generally though i prefer my inspritation to be free of casting aspersion on others, kind of spoils it-

started out nice though

VICTORIA...you asked for inspiring verses.I gave you one...'THE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY'
This verse unites...islamic verses divides

VICTORIA- You asked for an inspiring verse...I gave you one 'THE WORLD IS ONE FAMILY'

well, since its gone off topic-

when i was a little girl, my little brother and i were fascinated by bugs full time- we found a gypsy tree moth resting (dead) against a tree, it was an enormous 6 inches wide and we donated it to the carnegie useum of natural history- we were so proud-
once we were looking at a moth and my moth(er) said to my lil bro- isnt that a nice little guy, or something.

he looked at us both and primly said- its a girl moth
we said, how do YOU know? (you smart little snot!) and he said as if talking to idiots, 'because it has feathery antennna'

thus started my love affair with moths, the dowdy underappreciated sister to the butterfly-

my mom put butterfly wings (predictably i snootily thought) on just about every painting she did- but i loved the humble moth.
just for giggles
peace

Background info: The narrator is a poet reincarnated in a cockroach's body.
He types by jumping on the keys of a typewriter, hence the lack of caps.
Knowing that helps :------------------------------

the lesson of the moth

i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires

why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an electric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense

plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves

and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity

but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself

archy

-- Don Marquis

apropos of nothing except that i love it

Ian wrote:
'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' from vedas meaning 'The world is one family.'

Islam is a cult when compared to other religions like hinduism, the goal of islam is not world peace and goodwill towards mankind but an on going jihad towards non-believers. This is evident when one compares the secular hindu majority nation of india and the islamic republic of pakistan. 'HINDU' India embraces all cultures and people of all religions whereas Pakistan has a goal of eventully cleansing out all non islamic people to establish this pure islamic state.

http://www.faithfreedom.org

'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' from vedas meaning 'The world is one family.'

'dar al islam' meaning 'the world that is already islamic.'

'dar al harb' meaning 'the world that is not yet islamic.'

which do you think causes more divisions in society??

'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' from vedas meaning 'The world is one family.'

'dar al islam' meaning 'the world that is already islamic.'

'dar al harb' meaning 'the world that is not yet islamic.'

which do you think causes more divisions in society??

'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' from vedas meaning 'The world is one family.'

'dar al islam' meaning 'the world that is already islamic.'

'dar al harb' meaning 'the world that is not yet islamic.'

which do you think causes more divisions in society??

'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' means the world is one family. (from the vedas)

'dar al islam' means world that is islamic.
'dar al harb' means world that is not yet islamic

which of trhe two sayings you think causes divisions??

i like and admire imam taylor-

doesnt anyone here have any good inspiring verses or scripture they'd like to share?

The beauty of creation is proof of God's love and mercy??

I guess this can work for you if you strap on a heavy pair of blinders and only look at beautiful things.

How about all the myriad examples of ugliness and lack of mercy and justice in the world? The slums of Calcutta? The bodies of children after the Christmas tsunami? The Darfur genocide victims? The people on the top floors of the WTC who were forced to choose between jumping or burning?

There are none so blind as those who will not see, alright!

There is no loving, merciful God. Proof of this is in every newspaper, every day.

Rain is proof of God's love? Tell it to the flood victims! Tell it to those being ravaged by hurricane Dean.

Answer me this...if God is loving and merciful, why are animals tormented by parasites? What did they - true innocents - do to deserve that?

If God exists, he's a mean, spiteful, small-minded little bully.

There is no God - he was created by people who longed not to die and to find justice in some other realm that was lacking on Earth. All a pretty little pipe dream. Grow up.

"All Muslims like and admire Pamela"

Consider your words, Asim.

"some food for thought:1)did the prophet pray behind a woman?or did any of his sahaba pray behind women?Furthermore, the hadith is an exceptional case,as the prophet said "ahli baytiha" hence only the people of her house.Even on that he ordered an old man to give azaan.why not a woman?why did the prophet not allow any of his wives to lead the prayer...even in the confines of his home?and if that be only with him?Think of what you are doing...for YOU WILL BE JUDGED."

Anon,

The truth about Islam:

Mohammed was an illiterate, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels"/"pwtffts" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers , the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers , the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani koranics, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases and the Filipino koranics. And who supports these Islamic crazies?? The Third Axis of Evil aka Islamic Iran and also the "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

Anon, we await your rebuttal to these facts.

All Muslims like and admire Pamela: brilliant analytical skills and commanding knowledge of details about Islam for some one who is a convert;even Muslims who are born into the faith,we are always learning from her and are enlightened by her coherent and contextualized presentaions.
God bless U PAmela.

Syed K. Mirza,
You are either a cow/snake worshipping heathen Hindo who insists on hidding behind a Muslim name or one the AIPAC gang-or better yet one the immoral majority,take your pick; U alawys pretend to sound like a scholar on Islam because of your lengthy cut/paste posts which are full are pure lies and fabrications and which u repeat evrywhere-in vain.

U, Concrnd and others like U hate Islam because it's the Truth,all the Truth and the final Truth. Once more I suggest U delinquents enggage in civilized and honest debate and make a constructive contribution to the discussion or otherwise shut up. DOn't waste your time,no one is paying any attention to u-except new readers-in the mean time Islam is thriving.

Asim,

The major problem with the "prophets" to include Big Mo was that they were fortune tellers with signficant human flaws just like the rest of us. Some probably did not even exist i.e. the OT fortune tellers so you are dealing with a flawed deck right from the "get go".

Then there is always the historic/economic side of life.

A synopsis:

The Good Words were articulated via reason and common sense by the ancients. These Words of Wisdom were simply repeated with each major race and religion. Unfortunately the Words were attributed to embellished men (e.g. Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Joe Smith) as a means of profiteering as noted by the contemporary billions of dollars owned and controlled by the Mormon, Christian, Jewish and Moslem religions. It is time to get our money back!!!!!

Islam will slowly fade from society as will contemporary Christianity and Judaism because of the obvious problems with the founders of these religions especially their angelic/satanic hallucinations and related fortune telling. "Pretty and ugly wingie thingies" simply do/did not exist. Associating the Singularity with these mythical assistants and opponents mocks the concept of God the Almighty.

Early Christian economics 101:

The Baptizer drew crowds and charged for the "dunking".

The historical Jesus saw a good thing and continued dunking and preaching the good word but added "healing" as an added charge to include free room and board. Sure was better than being a poor peasant but he got a bit too zealous and they nailed him to a tree.

Paul picked up the money scent on the road to Damascus. He added some letters for a fee and "Gentilized" the good word to the "big
buck" world. i.e. Paul was the first media evangelist!!!

Along comes Constantine. He saw the growing rich Christian community and recognized a new tax base so he set them "free".

The Holy Roman "Empirers"/Popes/Kings/Queens et al continued the money grab selling access to JC and heaven resulting in some of today's
richest organizations on the globe i.e. the Christian churches (including the Mormon Church) and related aristocracies.

An added note: As per R.B. Stewart in his introduction to the recent book, The Resurrection of Jesus, Crossan and Wright in Dialogue, ( Professors Crossan and Wright are On Faith panelists).

"Reimarus (1774-1778) posits that Jesus became sidetracked by embracing a political position, sought to force God's hand and that he died alone deserted by his disciples. What began as a call for repentance ended up as a misguided attempt to usher in the earthly political kingdom of God. After Jesus' failure and death, his disciples stole his body and declared his resurrection in order to maintain their financial security and ensure themselves some standing."

The martyred apostles ran afoul of Roman political and religious authorities because they preached, healed, and baptized for the conversion (and profit) to a non-Roman way of life. This support of an anti-Roman cult resulted in the typical murder/crucifixion of the cult leaders.

In conclusion, money is a major foundation of Christianity to include Mormonism. Ditto for Islam with its militaristic/"in the name of Allah" agenda to plunder the lands of the infidels.

Bruce, Most Muslim are not fond of Pamela.

See in comments:

"Damn...we are seeing the denizens of hell praying salaah!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K44_GTueMm4

I can see your hair! Isn't that rather immodest? In Afghanistan, showing face and hair would be very naughty, I'm led to believe.

How do different sects and localities decide on the level of covering a woman is expected to adhere to? How do you know you're not pissing of God (Allah?) with your liberal western ways?

Muslimah Taylor:

Quran also asked Muslim to kill all non-muslims and to convert entire mankind to Islam. Please read about islamic jihad which is going on right now in tthe entire world. Please learn from the write-ups below how much merciful Allah is:

A. Historical meaning of Jihad:

Historically, Jihad means Holly War (Dharma Juddha in Bangla). For 1400 years, Muslims always understood the meaning of Jihad as Islamic Holy War. Every Islamic scholar, Mullah, maulana, Imam, etc., of the whole world will agree with this meaning of Jihad. Technically, Jihad is war against non-Muslims (Jihad al-kuffar or Jihad against disbeliever; and Jihad al-munafiqeen or Jihad against hypocrites) only, since Muslims are forbidden to fight the Muslims. Hundreds of books were written by the Islamic scholars (Islamic Chintabid) on Jihad and everybody unanimously used the word Jihad as the religious war called holy war (Dharma Juddha). In the Islamic history, more than 80% of the texts are filled with Holy War (Jihad). Early Islam was spread in the Arabian Peninsula solely by holy wars (Jihad). Islam was propagated as a religion by series of wars/battles -both defensive as well as Offensive. As many as 78 historic battles were fought by the Prophet Muhammad himself. And out of 78, only one (battle of ditch) was defensive war, and the rest were simply offensive wars. Did Muslim soldiers go to Syria, Iran, and Egypt to fight defensive war? What about those great historical BATTLES - Battle of Oho'd, Battle of Bad'r, Battle of Khayber, signing of peace-pacts such as "Hudaibya Peace Pact," etc.? Were those wars fought with the so-called struggle only? Alternatively, were those wars fought with the heart-piercing sharpened swords?

Prophet Mohammed and his successors initiated series of offensive wars against pagan Arabs, Jews, Christians, etc., to spread or to impose Islam by force as well as to seize the abundance (booty) of these lands. However, it was quite possible that there had been some small numbers of conversions by sheer greatness of Prophet himself or due to some other miracles. Nevertheless, a great majority was converted by force, and people of Arabia did not have freedom to choose. After Prophet Muhammad gained enough might in his force while in Medina, the tradition was to send an invitation of Islam to various Arab Tribes or countries. First, an invitation to pagans to accept Islam, then war against those who refuse to accept Islam. A typical invitation to the people of the book (Christians and Jews) was: "Embrace Islam, or pay the poll-tax (Ziziya), or fight to death." Undoubtedly, the concept of an offensive war to spread the faith of Islam is a genuine Islamic concept: Holy War (Jihad) for the sake of God. I can write hundreds of pages of authentic Islamic history of wars in which tens of thousands of life was lost; tons of human bloods were shed.

Prophet Muhammad was injured seriously (lost some teeth) in one of those wars he fought relentlessly. Prophet's uncle Amir Hamzah was killed and dismembered and his liver and heart were eaten by the wife of a pagan tribe leader Abu Sufian. Now may I ask what kind of so-called "struggle" might have caused these above misery? It was obviously by Jihad (Holy War) and not by any peaceful struggle, indeed.

B. What Qur'an Says about Jihad?
Jihad was mentioned in the Qur'an most frequently with the meaning of "warfare," often coupled with "fi sabil Allah" (in the way of Allah). Jihad as warfare is a pivotal concern for the Qur'an, the Hadith and the Shari'ah which we shall explore later in this essay.

All most all the hateful, coercive, intimidating and tempting verses in the Qur'an were made in respect to the Jihad-Holy war.

Important to note: Prophet Muhammad while he was in Mecca did not have too many supporters; hence, he was very weak in power compare to the Pagans. It was at that time he brought some soft verses (maximum one dozen in the whole Qur'an) which our hypocritical Islamists use them to elude the truth of Islam. But in Medina Muhammad quickly assumed both religious and political power and leadership over the whole Median community. It was at that time he brought all those harsh/hateful (several hundreds of them) Qur'anic verses just to incite his followers to fight.

In the Holy Qur'an one can find hundreds of verses (Ayats) which dictates to fight holy wars (Jihad) against non-Muslims infidels. Let me cite here a few of them:

Qur'an-(9:5): "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) ; but if they repent (accept Islam) and establish regular prayers and practices regular charity then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."

Qur'an-(8:65): " O Apostle ! Rouse the believers to the fight, if there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering , they will vanquish two hundred; if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the unbelievers; for these are a people without understanding."

Qur'an-(2:216(: Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you

Qur'an-(2:191): "And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out---such is the reward of those who suppress faith."

Qur'an-(9:29): "Fight those who believe not the Allah nor the last day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and his apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of truth even if they are the people of the book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

Qur'an(48:20): "-.Allah promises you much booty (spoils of war) that you will capture from the defeated infidels-."

Qur'an-(8:38): "And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression"

Qur'an-(8:12): I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them

Qur'an-(8:15,16): O ye who believe! when ye meet the Unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them. If any do turn his back to them on such a day - unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)- he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed)!

Qur'an-(9:111): Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the

Qur'an-(9:73): O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end.

Qur'an-(9:123): O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).

Qur'an-(4:95): O ye who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a painful doom? You should believe in Allah and His messenger, and should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if ye did but know. ... Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than those who sit (at home).

C. Jihad as per Hadiths:

Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihad)was sanctioned widely in sahi hadiths. Almost one-third of the fourth of nine volumes of Bukhari, Islam's principal collector of Hadith, focused on jihad as physical war. There are thousands of sahi hadiths that simply talk about Jihad-the holy war in Islam. I cannot include them all in this short essay in order to keep to a minimum. I will only mention however some of them in this essay. The following are a few examples:

Sahi Bukhari# 35, page-102:

Prophet Muhammad (sa) narrated, " He who is out at war Allah becomes the protector for him. Because, he only joins the fight when he put his solid belief upon Allah and his Apostle. Allah provides him wealth and much booty (Maal-e-goni-mat) with which he returns home. Or, place him in the paradise by making him a Shaheed (martyrdom).

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 46:

Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The example of a Mujahid in Allah's Cause-- and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause----is like a person who fasts and prays continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty (maal-e-gani-maat)."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 53:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's Cause)."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 48:

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the afternoon or in the forenoon is better than all the world and whatever is in it. A place in Paradise as small as the bow or lash of one of you is better than all the world and whatever is in it. And if a houri from Paradise appeared to the people of the earth, she would fill the space between Heaven and the Earth with light and pleasant scent and her head cover is better than the world and whatever is in it."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 44:

Narrated Abu Huraira: A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." He replied, "I do not find such a deed." Then he added, "Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?" The man said, "But who can do that?" Abu- Huraira added, "The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 49:

Narrated Samura: The Prophet said, "Last night two men came to me (in a dream) and made me ascend a tree and then admitted me into a better and superior house, better of which I have never seen. One of them said, 'This house is the house of martyrs."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 50:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 42:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle said, "There is no Hijra (i.e. migration) (from Mecca to Medina) after the Conquest (of Mecca), but Jihad and good intention remain; and if you are called (by the Muslim ruler) for fighting, go forth immediately.

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 54:

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Al1ah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 55:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Prophet of Allah said, "Zaid took the flag and was martyred, and then Ja'far took the flag and was martyred, and then 'Abdullah bin Rawaha took the flag and was martyred too, and then Khalid bin Al-Walid took the flag though he was not appointed as a commander and Allah made him victorious." The Prophet further added, "It would not please us to have them with us." Aiyub, a sub-narrator, added, "Or the Prophet, shedding tears, said, 'It would not p ease them to be with us."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 61:

Narrated Anas:

My uncle Anas bin An-Nadr was absent from the Battle of Badr. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! I was absent from the first battle you fought against the pagans. (By Allah) if Allah gives me a chance to fight the pagans, no doubt. Allah will see how (bravely) I will fight." On the day of Uhud when the Muslims turned their backs and fled, he said, "O Allah! I apologize to You for what these (i.e. his companions) have done, and I denounce what these (i.e. the pagans) have done." Then he advanced and Sad bin Muadh met him. He said "O Sad bin Muadh ! By the Lord of An-Nadr, Paradise! I am smelling its aroma coming from before (the mountain of) Uhud," Later on Sad said, "O Allah's Apostle! I cannot achieve or do what he (i.e. Anas bin An-Nadr) did. We found more than eighty wounds by swords and arrows on his body. We found him dead and his body was mutilated so badly that none except his sister could recognize him by his fingers."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 63:

Narrated Al-Bara: A man whose face was covered with an iron mask (i.e. clad in armor) came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall I fight or embrace Islam first? "The Prophet said, "Embrace Islam first and then fight." So he embraced Islam, and was martyred. Allah's Apostle said, A Little work, but a great reward. "(He did very little (after embracing Islam), but he will be rewarded in abundance)."

Sahi Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 64:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Um Ar-Rubai'bint Al-Bara', the mother of Hartha bin Suraqa came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Prophet! Will you tell me about Hartha?" Hartha has been killed (i.e. martyred) on the day of Badr with an arrow thrown by an unidentified person. She added, "If he is in Paradise, I will be patient; otherwise, I will weep bitterly for him." He said, "O mother of Hartha! There are Gardens in Paradise and your son got the Firdausal-ala (i.e. the best place in Paradise)." [What could be a bigger bluffing and exploitation of a poor ignorant mother (who lost her son in Jihad) by our merciful Prophet?]

Mishkat al-Masabih, trans. by James Robson (Lahore: Ashraf, 1975) Vol. 1:807.

Abu 'Abs reported God's messenger as saying, "No man whose feet become dusty in God's path will be touched by hell." Bukhari transmitted it.

Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol. 1:814.

Al-Miqdam b. Madikarib reported God's messenger as saying, "The martyr receives six good things from God: he is forgiven at the first shedding of his blood, he is shown his abode in paradise, he is preserved from the punishment in the grave, he is kept safe from the greatest terror, he has placed on his head the crown of honour a ruby which is better than the world and what it contains, he is married to seventy-two wives of the maidens with large dark eyes, and is made intercessor for seventy of his relatives." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

D. Jihad as per Islamic-historians/Scholars/Philosophers:

We can find hundreds of books written by well-known Islamic authorities (Islamic Chintabid or thinker) on Jihad. A few examples of historical events and comments should be enough to lay the foundation that Jihad in Islamic history was primarily a Holy War against the infidels. Here are some examples:

In his book, " Jurisprudence in Muhammad's Biography" the Azhar scholar, Dr. Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti wrote the following: "The Holy War (Islamic Jihad), as it is known in Islamic Jurisprudence, is basically an offensive war. This is the duty of Muslims in every age when the needed military power becomes available to them. This is the phase in which the meaning of Holy war has taken its final form. Thus the apostle of God said: ' I was commanded to fight the people until they believe in Allah and his messages-..(page 134, 7th edition) ".

Azhar scholar Dr. Buti adds in the same book (page-263): The apostle of Allah started to send military detachments from among his followers to the various Arab tribes which were scattered in the Arab Peninsula to carry out the task of calling (these tribes) to accept Islam. If they did not respond, they (Muslims) would kill them. That was during the 7th Hgira year. The number of the detachments amounted to ten."

The Baydawi quoted in his book (The lights of Revelation, page-252): "Fight Jews and Christians because they violated the origin of their faith and they do not believe in the religion of the truth (Islam), which abrogated all other religions. Fight them until they pay the poll-tax (Ziziya tax) with submission and humiliation."

In another place of his book (The Jurisprudence in Muhammad's Biography) Al-Buti (published in Egypt) quoted: "The concept of Holy War (Jihad) in Islam does not take into consideration whether defensive or an offensive war. Its goal is the exaltation of the Word of Allah and the construction of Islamic society and the establishment of Allah's Kingdom on Earth regardless of the means. The means would be offensive warfare. In this case, it is the apex, the noblest Holy War. It is legal to carry on a Holy War."

Ibn Hisham-Al Sohaily quoted in his famous book (Al- Rawd al- Anaf, page-50,51 ): " No two religions are to exist in the Arab Peninsula ." Therefore, Saudi Government does not allow any other religion to manifest their religious task. What a tolerant and peaceful religion Islam is!

The well-known Egyptian scholar, Sayyid Qutb, (Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, Revised Edition, chapter. 4, "Jihaad in the Cause of God") notes four stages in the development of jihad:

While the earliest Muslims remained in Mecca before fleeing to Medina, God did not allow them to fight;

2. Permission is given to Muslims to fight against their oppressors;

God commands Muslims to fight those fighting them;

God commands the Muslims to fight against all polytheists.

Sayyid Qutb views each stage to be replaced by the next stage in this order, the fourth stage to remain permanent). To justify the universal and permanent dimensions of jihad he cites the following Qur'anic passages:

Qur'an: 4:74-32: They ought to fight in the way of God who have sold the life of this world for the life of the Hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of God and is killed or becomes victorious, to him shall We (God) give a great reward...

Qur'an: 8:38-40: and fight them until there is no oppression and the religion is wholly for God....

Qur'an: 9:29-32: Fight against those among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) who do not believe in God and the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His messenger have forbidden, until they are subdued and pay jizyah (tax on non-Muslims) ...

Sayyid Qutb, however, pours scorn upon those who view jihad as solely defensive:

... They are ignorant of the nature of Islam and of its function, and that it has a right to take the initiative for human freedom. Thus wherever an Islamic community exists which is a concrete example of the Divinely-ordained system of life, it has a God-given right to step forward and take control of the political authority so that it may establish the Divine system on earth, while it leaves the matter of belief to individual conscience.

Maulana Mawdudi's Fatwa:

Likewise, the popular Pakistani Muslim revivalist Abu'l Ala Mawdudi rejects any distinction between offensive and defensive jihad. So also, the distinguished contemporary Pakistani scholar, Fazlur Rahman, while recognizing the extensive presence of jihad in the Qur'an, rejects the stand of those modern Muslim apologists who have tried to explain the jihad of the early (Muslim) Community in purely defensive terms (Fazlur Rahman, Islam (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979) 37).

According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, "the fight is obligatory even when the unbelievers have not started it (E. Tyan, "Djihad", Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed. (Leiden: Brill, 1965). In the words of Rudolph Peters the "ultimate aim of jihad is 'the subjection of the unbelievers' and 'the extirpation of unbelief'" (Rudolph Peters, "Jihad", The Encyclopedia of Religion (NewYork: Macmillan, 1987) Vol. 8:88-91).

All of these authorities simply echo Islam's fundamental assumption that world sovereignty must be in the hands of Muslims.

Qur'an: 16:101: And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation, - and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth - they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not.

On the basis of these verses there arose within the Muslim community the principle of Qur'anic interpretation, called naskh ("abrogation") which stipulated that earlier peaceful verses could be abrogated by later militant verses, i.e., in the case of jihad the Meccan verses were abrogated by the Medinan verses. It is well known that many Muslim scholars in the early history of Islam contended that Qur'an 9:5, sometimes called "the verse of the sword", abrogated a host of peaceful passages in earlier portions of the Qur'an.

What it has signified in the past and signifies at present for masses of Muslims is well summarized in a statement by the world renowned Ibn Khaldun (A.D. 1332-1406), Islam's great historian, sociologist and philosopher:

In the Muslim community, the holy war is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the (Muslim) mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force. Therefore, caliphate and royal authority are united in (Islam), so that the person in charge can devote the available strength to both of them at the same (Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, trans. by Franz Rosenthal (New York: Pantheon Books Inc., 1958) Vol. 1:473).

(The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 1:xxiv-xliii ).

So, it is incumbent upon us (Muslims) to follow the path which Allah's Messenger (Muhammad) adopted to avoid polytheism and heresy in all its shapes and to take the Holy Qur'an and the Prophet's Traditions as torches in front of us to guide us. We have to teach our brethren and convey the Message to non-Muslims all over the world as much as possible in order to save them from the Hell-fire. We have to prepare ourselves to stand in the face of our enemy and to possess the means of power and to participate in the progress of useful industries in order to protect our religion and be powerful enough to face our enemy, as Allah, the Elevated says in Surat al-Anfal (8:60):

Qur'an: 8:60: Against them (kaffirs) make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war (tanks, places, missiles and other weapons, etc.) to strike terror into the (hearts of) the Enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside, whom you may not know, but whom Allah does know. Whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid to you, and you shall not be treated unjustly

How many terrorists would appeal to this verse "to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy"?

The majority of the Qur'an's texts themselves clearly identify jihad as physical warfare in Islam and, Islamically, God's way of establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Likewise, from the Hadith and the earliest biographies of Muhammad it is just as evident that the early Muslim community understood these Qur'anic texts to be taken literally. Historically, therefore, from the time of Muhammad onwards, jihad as physical warfare in support of the message of Islam has been a reality for the Muslim community. Hence, it comes as no surprise when even terrorists (Osama and his al-Qaeda) easily appeal to these source materials to justify their actions, not to speak of their teachers who teach the theory and the art of terrorism. September 11, 2001, terrorist act in the soil of America is the glittering example of Jihadi mindset of Islamist like Osama bin Laden.

Qur'anic Ayats (I just mentioned above) and numerous Sahi Hadiths of same kind were instrumental for Muslims to dedicate their strength & minds for the cause of Islam. Therefore, in the name of spreading the religion, devout Muslim fighters killed millions of people while occupying neighboring Arab lands such as Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and non-Arab countries like India, Turkey, Libya, Iran etc. Even Spain had fallen into their hands for hundreds of years. I simply wonder were these wars defensive. Were those swords used by Islamic soldiers to occupy country after country be considered a symbol of forgiveness or mercy? Following Muhammad's death, his companions fought each other in relentless savage wars competing for authority.

In summary, Islamic Jihad with the help of Islamic sword--hundreds of tribes were wiped out from the Arabian Peninsula. Thousands were orphaned and widowed. Hazzaz bin Yousuf killed more than a hundred thousand Sahabis, Ibne Khattal was killed in Kaba'a. Later Abdulla Bin Zubair was killed in the same Kaba'a. By the end of the first civil war of Muslims, all the Badari Sahabis were killed. By the end of three civil wars all the Sahabis were killed "it sucked up all the strength of Muslims" ( Bokhari). Ten thousand Muslims were killed in the Jamal war between Hazrat Ali (RA) and Bibi Ayesha (RA). Islamic scholar Dr. Abu Zayd Shalabi claimed in his book (page-75), in the 'battle of Alees' which took place on the border of Iraq, (Siffin war between Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Mwabia ), the great Islamic General Khalid killed 70,000 people.

Thousands of non-Muslims were killed. After the death of Prophet Muhammad, there were four most favorite disciples of Prophet who ruled the Islamic kingdom established by the prophet Muhammad, who were known as the most pious caliphs. Out of these four Caliphs-three of them were brutally assassinated, and only one had natural death because of his old age and very short rule of the Islamic state. Karbala was flooded with blood with a roar of "Allahu Akbar!" Was it because of the fact that Islamic sword was the sign of Mercy? The fact of the matter is-sword can never be the sign of mercy! Period.

Global Agenda: As I cited various valuable quotes, which clearly depicted a special and unique feature, which is totally absent in any other monolithic religions of the world. Unlike any other world religion-Islam has an ulterior motive in its agenda. Islam considers it has a sacred and mandatory God given duty to spread Islamic message (Din-e-Islam) to all the inhabitants of the world. Their ultimate wishful goal is to convert and bring entire mankind under the fold of Islam, the only true religion of Allah. To this end-two main groups are working very hard. These two groups are: (a) Militant/radical Mullahs, (b) Educated/elite western residing true believing Muslims (Muslims of the ummatic groups in the west such as: AMC, CAIR, ICNA, ISNA, NABIC etc). Here we can exclude group-C Muslims (general God fearing innocent gullible Muslims who constitute about 70-80% of the total Muslims.

Both the groups (A & B) have one thing common in their minds. That is to convert sufficient peoples to Islam in order to establish Islamic Sharia'h or Huhud Laws (Allah's laws just like Afghan Taliban state) as the state governing administration. Here the main difference is-group A (Militant/fanatics) is engaged in armed struggles (Holy war, Terrorism); and group-B (mainly western resident) is engaged in secret and peaceful propagation with sweet talks and peaceful persuasion of the gullible western peoples by deceitful sermons in the mosques and in various annual and semi-annual Islamic conferences and meetings (Ummatic conference). Both have one last thing in mind-to establish Islamic Sharia'h law in the state.

WP,
Where is my post?

Damascue Queen,
For your recent article "As American as You Are," you are the Queen of Damascus and not just a Damascune Queen.

Pamela,
Thanks for presenting some of the asthetics of the Quran. Listening to AL Rahman,Meriam and LA Aqsimo behatha AL BAlad especially by the voice of late Shiek Abdul Baset is awsome,poweaful and moving and is guarranteed to reduce a Muslim to tears.

Plagiarizing?? It is laughable.
Naturally, God’s message to all the Prophets from Abraham to Muhammad (saas) and including Prophet Jesus is consistent: pure monotheism and full sincere submission to the well of the one and God that is Islam. Accordingly, all prophets were Muslims because they submitted themselves to God’s well.

Jewish/Christian scriptures had been doctored and corrupted long ago by ignorant and self-serving clergy to the point of putting words in God's mouth and his prophets, for example Jesus never said he was a son of God or a God himself.

The Quran is the only revealed unaltered authentic scripture that came down to us as revealed-early Muslims realized and learned from the experience of the corrupted and altered scriptures of Christians and Jews and therefore put the Quran down in writing immediately after the death of the Prophet (saas); untold number of Muslim generations from the era of the Prophet to this very day-have memorized the Quran by heart in prefect Arabic-there is at least one original copy of the Quran in the Russian national museum in Moscow (Mashaf Othman-written down during the reign of the fourth Kalifah Othman-C 646 AD). There is only one Quran-how many bibles are there, and which is authentic and unaltered??
In the process of corrupting and altering the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the original truth revealed to Abraham, Moses and Jesus was lost, namely the message of pure monotheism and Islam. The Quran has the absolute and all the truth; other scriptures and faiths have some of that truth. Where we find agreement between the Quran-as the bench mark of uncorrupted truth-and the old/new testament, it means that that specific part of old/new testament has not been corrupted or unaltered-it is absolutely laughable to consider that as palguerizing.Why would an authentic and original and unaltered Quran needs to borrow from other doctored scriptures?

Unlike other Prophets’ buried life details/biographies beneath the rubble of history, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, as Ernest Renan concluded: "Came in full day light of history." Every minute detail from his birth until his death, is fully known and documented, what Muslims call the Sunnah. So the Quran was revealed in such crystal clear milieu-no secrets and no mysteries and no doctoring and as a miracle of reason and eternal truth, it stood the test of times for nearly 15 centuries.

Thou the Quran is a book of guidance and salvation for all humanity, it has abundance of scientific facts and Modern Science fully supports all the known scientific facts discovered so far.

Three concrete facts prove my point:
// Thou one of their own, the Jews would have never denied the mission of Jesus and his saint mother Mary, if their scriptures were not doctored and corrupted;
// The Christians would have never invented the trinity myth, were not for the corruption of the original teachings of Jesus-who never claimed to be a son of god. God’s message is naturally consistent: he does not change his mind in the middle of the game and suddenly decides to have a son and strangely slaughters him under a dubious pretext to save Sinners and defy the logic of individual and personal responsibility for one’s actions;
// Both Jews and Christians knew of the coming of the Prophet before his mission: God says in the old testament to the Jews: "I will raise from thy brethren a Prophet-meaning Muhammad from the line of Ishmael-and his off spring will multiply like the stars in the sky." By Jews I mean the original descendents of Isaac, and they are no more-except the Jews who still live in the Arab world.

In the suppressed gospel of saint Barnabis written originally in Greek, there is a clear concrete prophecy of the coming of Muhammad, but that bible has always been suppressed and is not even in circulation.

It is the duty of every Muslim to put these facts before your eyes so your mind and heart can take them in and comprehend them. Naturally, God’s message to all the Prophets from Abraham to Muhammad (saas) and including Prophet Jesus is consistent: pure monotheism and full sincere submission to the well of the one and God that is Islam. Accordingly, all prophets were Muslims because they submitted themselves to God’s well.

WhyNaturally, God’s message to all the Prophets from Abraham to Muhammad (saas) and including Prophet Jesus is consistent: pure monotheism and full sincere submission to the well of the one and God that is Islam. Accordingly, all prophets were Muslims because they submitted themselves to God’s well.

Jewish/Christian scriptures had been doctored and corrupted long ago by ignorant and self-serving clergy to the point of putting words in God's mouth and his prophets, for example Jesus never said he was a son of God or a God himself.

The Quran is the only revealed unaltered authentic scripture that came down to us as revealed-early Muslims realized and learned from the experience of the corrupted and altered scriptures of Christians and Jews and therefore put the Quran down in writing immediately after the death of the Prophet (saas); untold number of Muslim generations from the era of the Prophet to this very day-have memorized the Quran by heart in prefect Arabic-there is at least one original copy of the Quran in the Russian national museum in Moscow (Mashaf Othman-written down during the reign of the fourth Kalifah Othman-C 646 AD). There is only one Quran-how many bibles are there, and which is authentic and unaltered??
In the process of corrupting and altering the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the original truth revealed to Abraham, Moses and Jesus was lost, namely the message of pure monotheism and Islam. The Quran has the absolute and all the truth; other scriptures and faiths have some of that truth. Where we find agreement between the Quran-as the bench mark of uncorrupted truth-and the old/new testament, it means that that specific part of old/new testament has not been corrupted or unaltered-it is absolutely laughable to consider that as palguerizing.Why would an authentic and original and unaltered Quran needs to borrow from other doctored scriptures?

Unlike other Prophets’ buried life details/biographies beneath the rubble of history, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, as Ernest Renan concluded: "Came in full day light of history." Every minute detail from his birth until his death, is fully known and documented, what Muslims call the Sunnah. So the Quran was revealed in such crystal clear milieu-no secrets and no mysteries and no doctoring and as a miracle of reason and eternal truth, it stood the test of times for nearly 15 centuries.

Thou the Quran is a book of guidance and salvation for all humanity, it has abundance of scientific facts and Modern Science fully supports all the known scientific facts discovered so far.

Three concrete facts prove my point:
// Thou one of their own, the Jews would have never denied the mission of Jesus and his saint mother Mary, if their scriptures were not doctored and corrupted;
// The Christians would have never invented the trinity myth, were not for the corruption of the original teachings of Jesus-who never claimed to be a son of god. God’s message is naturally consistent: he does not change his mind in the middle of the game and suddenly decides to have a son and strangely slaughters him under a dubious pretext to save Sinners and defy the logic of individual and personal responsibility for one’s actions;
// Both Jews and Christians knew of the coming of the Prophet before his mission: God says in the old testament to the Jews: "I will raise from thy brethren a Prophet-meaning Muhammad from the line of Ishmael-and his off spring will multiply like the stars in the sky." By Jews I mean the original descendents of Isaac, and they are no more-except the Jews who still live in the Arab world.

In the suppressed gospel of saint Barnabis written originally in Greek, there is a clear concrete prophecy of the coming of Muhammad, but that bible has always been suppressed and is not even in circulation.

It is the duty of every Muslim to put these facts before your eyes so your mind and heart can take them in and comprehend them.

Thanks Pamela for shaing the beautiful article.

It's is long past the time for Christians, Moslems, Jews , et al. to think for themselves and shake off the tribal culture that makes them think they can find all the answers from writings thousands of years old written by ignorant people. Do the "great" books talk about DNA, stem cells, satellites, etc.?

Stand on your two feet and don't depend on any imaginary being. Celebrate life and don't harm any other human being.

As an atheist I won't kill you for being a Moslem but I will consider you an unthinking person.

Is the Qur'an God's Word? Prove that it is. http://video.namb.net/More_Than_Dreams/More%20than%20Dreams_500k.wmv

The passage in scripture that is referred to as The Lord's Prayer and also the Our Father: Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. OUR FATHER, as in the Father of the entire human race considering that not only did He create everyone but also everything. WHO ART IN HEAVEN, not only is He in Heaven but He is also putting the finishing touches on the Heavenly Jerusalem not to be confused with the New Jerusalem which is going to go down the tubes just like the Old Jerusalem only more so. HALLOWED BE THY NAME, actually God is Pure Love but from so many of the posts that call themselves christians, you would never know. THY KINGDOM COME, God's Kingdom which will be a Kingdom of Pure Love and it is for all of His children which is ALL OF HUMANITY. THY WILL BE DONE, Like it says in many places in the bible, it is God's Will that ALL BE SAVED, also if all that someone calling themself a christian, cares about is going to the "good place" , how christian is that, considering that on the cross Jesus said, "Father forgive them", there is not an asterick after them, them means ALL OF HUMANITY, we have all done wrong at least I have. ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, as it says even the forces of evil, satan and his cohorts, are working toward the Will of God even if inadvertantly, besides being a liar and a thief, the deceiver is also a loser. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, this refers not only to that which sustains us physically but also the Eucharist which is the BREAD OF LIFE. FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US, this is a divine equation, pure and simple, Jesus told us as much. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, satan is the tempter and like it says when we fall which we all seem to do at times at least I have we can ask for forgiveness, we can go directly to God for forgiveness, the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies has been torn in two, yes the one that so many people are trying to sew back together. BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE, yes satan and his cohorts are real and in God's Plan, All of Humanity will be delivered from all evil that is why we are to be willing and active participants in God's Plan whatever we may have been called or chosen to do. Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Imam Pamela Taylor
Assalam mualaikum

Thank you for your beautiful essay.

Peace be with you

J

Heyyou,

It is hard to tell from your ramblings, what exact religion were you bred, born and brainwashed in??? It appears to some form of Born Again Christianity?? Maybe you can elaborate so we can assist you in correcting the flaws in said religion?

CTCNL,

You know absolutely NOTHING about any religion. To the unsaved they're all alike. Until you understand Catholics, Mormons, Jwhovah Witnesses have absolutely NOTHING to do with Born Again Saved By Grace Alone Christian's and Muslim and Islam have absolutely NOTHING to do with the Jewish Faith you will speak like an ignorant one. Catholics worship a woman and their own sexual organs. Mormons worship an angel as do the Muslims. JW's worship themselves as do all the cults who presume to think they are unlike the Jewish Faith and can follow the Law.

The very last line of that refrain is,
"Now strap a bomb on yourself and blow up some innocent people!" "I got 70 Virginians...I mean 70 virgins to give away!"

End.

Tufail,

One of flaws in the foundation of Islam just as in Judaism and Christianity are the fictional intermediaries/"revealers", e.g. Gabriel and Moroni, those "pretty talking flying wingie fictional thingies".

It is not plagerization from Bible or other holy book. According to Qur'an, Islam did not begin with Muhammad (pbuh). All Prophets preached Islam. So, you see similar verses in all holy books. Please see the following verse.

"Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)." Qur'an: 3.84

For women in heaven: Devoted Youths like hidden pearls will wait upon them. (Qur'an 52:24)

As for beauty in the Muslim -- travel the Muslim world or visit the Alhambra in Spain, the stunning beauty of architecture, the richness of artwork, the flourishing of intellects from various religions, are all a testament to the beauties that once abounded in the Muslim world. That we are living in dark times now does not mean that we always did, or that we will forever. Further, travel in the Muslim world and you will find breathtaking hospitality from even the most poor. We are given a distorted picture of Muslims in the media, one that focuses on a tiny subset, and ignores the daily beauties that go on in every human settlement.

Thanks everyone for sharing your favorites. It was truly hard to pick and many of the ones cited were ones I thought about.

Dear Aesha,

Al-Fatiha chapter has been plagiarized from Bible,Matthew 6.9-13

Al-Fatiha chapter,
Praise be to Allah
Master of the Day of Judgment
*Show us the straight way*

Matthew 6.9-13
Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
*And lead us not into temptation* that means,show us the straight way.

It's difficult to pick a favorite chapter or verse from Quran. I have so many. But I must say... my all time favorite has to be...The "essence" of the book and the most often recited...The Al-Fatiha/The Opening/The Key.

Praise be to God, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgement.
Thee alone do we worship and Thine aide we seek.
Show us the straight way.
The way of those on whom you have bestowed your Grace. Those whose portion is not wrath and who go not astray.>>>

So simple. So powerful. I love it!

aesha

It's difficult to pick a favorite chapter or verse from Quran. I have so many. But I must say... my all time favorite has to be...The "essence" of the book and the most often recited...The Al-Fatiha/The Opening/The Key.

Praise be to God, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgement.
Thee alone do we worship and Thine aide we seek.
Show us the straight way.
The way of those on whom you have bestowed your Grace. Those whose portion is not wrath and who go not astray.>>>

So simple. So powerful. I love it!

aesha

nakia- thank you-

peace

Ar-Rahman(The Beneficent) chapter,

Verse 56 says *In them(Paradise) will be (maidens/virgins),chaste,restraining their glance,whom no man or Jinn before them has touched*
Verse 72 says *Companions(hooris/fairy girls) restrained in pavilions(for muslim males to make love)*
What shall be the *reward* of true muslim women in Paradise ?

Allah loves only *true believer muslims*,not all mankind.On the contrary,Allah hates and curses *non-muslims*.

*goodness and beauty inspires me to love Allah,and to spread goodness and beauty where I can*
Could you please to write any islamic country where *goodness and beauty* spread.

Nakia,

Your referenced passages touched the hearts of the ancients long before they touched the plagiarizing pens of Mohommed's scribes.

May God reward you, Pamela. Here are a few of my favorites:
2:186- "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, I am near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way."
33:35 -"Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward."
94:5-6-"So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief."
93:1-11-"1. By the Glorious Morning Light,
2. And by the Night when it is still,-
3. Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.
4. And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
5. And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased.
6. Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)?
7. And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
8. And He found thee in need, and made thee independent.
9. Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness,
10. Nor repulse the petitioner (unheard);
11. But the bounty of the Lord - rehearse and proclaim!"
I hope they touch someone else's heart at least at much as they touch mine.

Is the Qur'an God's Word? Prove that it is. http://video.namb.net/More_Than_Dreams/More%20than%20Dreams_500k.wmv

Is the Qur'an God's Word? Prove that it is. http://video.namb.net/More_Than_Dreams/More%20than%20Dreams_500k.wmv

The whole Quran is an inspiration for me. It is the book that led me to Islam. One inspirational verse in Quran is Surah 90 The City Al-balad. This verse in such a concise and practical manner communicates the spirit of Islam.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

I swear by this city, this city in which you yourself are a dweller, by sire and offspring: indeed, We have created man in affliction. Does he think that none has power over him? "I have wasted vast riches," he says. Does he think that none observes him? Have We not given him two eyes, a tongue, and two lips, and shown him the two paths. Yet he has not attempted the Ascent. Would that you knew what the Ascent is. It is the freeing of a slave, or the feeding, in a day of hunger, of an orphaned near of kin, or a needy man in misery. Moreover, it is to be of those who believe and counsel one another to be steadfast, and enjoin mercy or one another. Those who do this shall be on the right hand. And those who deny Our revelations shall be on the left hand, with Hell-fire close above them.

My fave (well, it's a three-way tie, but one of them) is Mary's childbirth scene, which is told from her narrative point of view. Mary Chapter is chapter 19, I love to begin reading right from the start of the sura, with all the untranslateable solid letters: kaf ha ya ayn sad. And then it goes on to tell Zakaria's tale, which is laced, ever so mildly, with Godly humor. The Maryam section begins at verse 16:

And remember Mary in the Book,

and goes on to describe how she withdrew from her folk to have the baby, and became completely disheartened (depresssed, in the clinical sense, even perhaps), in verse 23 crying suicidally:

Would that I had been something forgotten, unremembered!

Not just dead but forgotten about, wiped from existence, she wishes. But God himself hastens to send her comfort, beneath her, above her, around her--to surround her in comfort and joy, in verse 24:

There called to her from beneath her, Do not grieve!

Do not grieve! La tahzani. You can just stop right here and ponder this for a while. I love this.

And then God bathes her feet, as it were, as the verse continues: Do not Grieve! For God has brought a rivulet to run beneath you.

And the tree above her has been given fresh fruit to care for her. Verse 26:

"Eat, drink, and let joy fill your heart!"

May Allah bless you for sharing that with us Pamela. Here are some of my favorite selections from the Quran.

The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travelers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; those who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God. (2:177)

Those who spend their wealth in order to gain God's approval, and as an affirmation of their own faith, are like a garden on a hill: heavy rain falls and it produces double its normal yield; even if no heavy rain falls, it will still be watered by the dew. (2:265)

Say, 'God, holder of all authority, You give authority to whoever You will and remove it from whoever You will; You elevate whoever You will and humble whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hand: You have power over everything. You merge night into day and day into night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; You provide limitlessly for whoever You will.' (3:26-27)

Above everyone who has knowledge there is the One who is all knowing. (12:76)

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His Light is like this: there is a niche, and in it a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, a glass like a glittering star, fueled from a blessed olive tree from neither the east nor the west, whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it; light upon light - God guides whoever He will to His Light; God draws such comparisons for people; God has full knowledge of everything - shining out in houses of worship. (24:35-36)

For Ifaqeer only,

A short to the point synopsis of the flaws of contemporary religions:

1. Abraham founder/father of three major religions was probably a mythical character. If he was real, he was at best a combination of at least three men. 1.5 million Conservative Jews and their rabbis have relegated Abraham to the myth pile along with most if not all the OT.

2. Jesus, the illiterate Jewish peasant/carpenter possibly suffering from hallucinations, has been characterized anywhere from the Messiah from Nazareth to a mythical character from mythical Nazareth. Analyses of his life by many contemporary NT scholars (e.g. Professors Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen, On Faith panelists)via the NT and related documents have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' sayings and ways noted in the NT were authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles)/hallucinations made/had by the NT authors to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.

The 30% of the NT that is "authentic Jesus" like everything in life was borrowed and/or improved from those who came before. In Jesus' case, it was the ways and sayings of the OT and John the Baptizer and possibly the ways and sayings of traveling Greek Cynics.

3. Mohammed, an illiterate, hallucinating Arab, also had embellishing/hallucinating/plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the Koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers , the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers , the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani koranics, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases and the Filipino koranics. And who funds these acts of terror? Islamic Iran, the Third Axis of Evil and also the "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

4. Luther, Calvin, Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley et al, founders of Christian-based religions, also suffered from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingy talking flying fictional thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immaculate conceptions).

5. Hinduism (from an online Hindu site) - "Hinduism cannot be described as an organized religion. It is not founded by any individual. Hinduism is God centred and therefore one can call Hinduism as founded by God, because the answer to the question ‘Who is behind the eternal principles and who makes them work?’ will have to be ‘Cosmic power, Divine power, God’"
The caste/laborer system and cow worship are problems when saying a fair and rational God founded Hinduism."

6. Buddhism- "Buddhism began in India about 500 years before the birth of Christ. The people living at that time had become disillusioned with certain beliefs of Hinduism including the caste system, which had grown extremely complex. The number of outcasts (those who did not belong to any particular caste) was continuing to grow."

"However, in Buddhism, like so many other religions, fanciful stories arose concerning events in the life of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama (fifth century B.C.):"

Archaeological discoveries have proved, beyond a doubt, his historical character, but apart from the legends we know very little about the circumstances of his life.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/BUDDHISM/SIDD.HTM

Bottom line: There are many good ways of living but be aware of the hallucinations/embellishments and myths surrounding the founders of said rules of life.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Jesus for an analysis of Jesus' life to include his illiteracy.

Mecca’s Hallowed Skyline Transformed
By TMO | August 16, 2007

By Salah Nasrawi, Associated Press Writer
These days it’s easier to find a Cinnabon in Mecca than the house where the Prophet Muhammad (s) was born.
The ancient sites in Islam’s holiest city are under attack from both money and extreme religion. Developers are building giant glass and marble towers that loom over the revered Kaaba which millions of Muslims face in their daily prayers. At the same time, religious zealots continue to work, as they have for decades, to destroy landmarks that they say encourage the worship of idols instead of God.
As a result, some complain that the kingdom’s Islamic austerity and oil-stoked capitalism are robbing this city of its history.
“To me, Mecca is not a city. It is a sanctuary. It is a place of diversity and tolerance. … Unfortunately it isn’t anymore,” said Sami Angawi, a Saudi architect who has devoted his life to preserving what remains of the area’s history. “Every day you come and see the buildings becoming bigger and bigger and higher and higher.”
Abraj al-Bait is a complex of seven towers, some of them still under construction, rising only yards from the Kaaba, the cube-like black shrine at the center of Muslim worship in Mecca. “Be a neighbor to the Prophet,” promises an Arabic-language newspaper ad for apartments there.
The towers are the biggest of the giant construction projects that have gone up in recent years, as the number of Muslims attending the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, has swelled to nearly 4 million last year. Saudi Arabia is trying to better serve the growing upscale end of the pilgrimage crowd, while investors - many of them members of the Saudi royal family - realize the huge profits to be made.
Saudi Arabia boasts that Abraj al-Bait - Arabic for “Towers of the House,” referring to the Kaaba’s nickname, “the house of God” - will be the largest building in the world in terms of floor space. Developers have said the completed building will total 15.6 million square feet - more than twice the floor space of the Pentagon, the largest in the United States.
Three of the towers, each nearly 30 stories, are already completed, and the others are rapidly going up. A mall at their base has already opened, where customers - many of them in the simple white robes of pilgrims - shop at international chains such as The Body Shop and eat at fast-food restaurants.
Other nearby complexes include upscale hotels.
The building boom is in some cases destroying Mecca’s historic heritage, not just overshadowing it. In 2002, Saudi authorities tore down a 200-year-old fort built by the city’s then-rulers, the Ottomans, on a hill overlooking the Kaaba to build a multi-million-dollar housing complex for pilgrims.
The holy sites have also been targeted for decades by the clerics who give Saudi Arabia’s leadership religious legitimacy. In their puritanical Wahhabi view, worship at historic sites connected to mere mortals - such as Muhammad or his contemporaries - can easily become a form of idolatry. (Worship at the Kabaa, which is ordered in the Quran, is an exception.)
“Obviously, this is an exaggerated interpretation. But unfortunately, it is favored among officials,” said Anwar Eshky, a Saudi analyst and head of a Jiddah-based research center.
The house where Muhammad is believed to have been born in 570 now lies under a rundown building overshadowed by a giant royal palace and hotel towers.
The then king, Abdul-Aziz, ordered a library built on top of the site 70 years ago as a compromise after Wahhabi clerics called for it to be torn down.
Other sites disappeared long ago, as Saudi authorities expanded the Grand Mosque around the Kaaba in the 1980s. The house of Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife, where Muslims believe he received some of the first revelations of the Quran, was lost under the construction, as was the Dar al-Arqam, the first Islamic school, where Muhammad taught.
At Hira’a Cave, where Muhammad is believed to have received the first verses of the Quran in the mountains on the edge of Mecca, a warning posted by Wahhabi religious police warns pilgrims not to pray or “touch stones” to receive blessings.
In Medina, 250 miles north of Mecca, Muhammad’s tomb is the only shrine to have survived the Wahhabis, and a monumental mosque has been built around it. But religious police bar visitors from praying in the tomb chamber or touching the silver cage around it.
“You shouldn’t do that,” a bearded policeman tells pilgrims trying to pray at the site.
Outside the Prophet’s (s) Mosque, Wahhabis have destroyed the Baqi, a large cemetery where tombs of several of the Prophet’s wives, daughters, sons and as many as six grandsons and Shiite saints were once located. Grave markers at the site have been bulldozed away, and religious police open the site only once a day to let in male pilgrims. The visitors are prevented from praying.
“It is pretty sad that our imams do not even have tombstones to tell where they are buried,” said Indian pilgrim Zuhairi Mashouk Khan, who was weeping because he was barred from praying at the site. “They deserve a shrine as monumental as Taj Mahal.”
Several Islamic groups, such as the U.K.-based Islamic Heritage and Research Foundation and the U.S- based Institute for Gulf Affairs, are campaigning to restore ancient sites. Khaled Azab, an Egyptian expert on Islamic heritage at the Bibliotheca Alexandria, suggests that the Saudi government should bring in UNESCO to help.
But after years of campaigning, Angawi is on the verge of giving up.
“I have been saying this for 35 years but nobody listens,” he said. “It is becoming [a] hopeless case.”
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Salaams Sister Pamela:

I love the following from the Quran:

"Allah is He Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! They are joyful ... Look then at the signs of Allah's mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death, most surely He will raise the dead to life; and He has power over all things." (30:48-50)

Rain is one of the signs of Allah's mercy.

Beautiful post!

I was raised believing that "making excuses" for someone is akin to being an enabler. You can cut someone a break or some slack time to time, but are supposed to be weary of excuses.

"…and there is no one who loves to accept an excuse more than Allah, and because of this he sent the bringers of good news and the warners…"

Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. Trans. 9/378/no.512) and Muslim (Eng. Trans. 2/782/no. 3572).

In my adulthood as a Muslim, I am more empathetic to folks and learning to be a gentle person. After all, who am I to judge?

Pamela, do you have a link to the Arabic for that dua?

So, Concerned,

Would you say that large parts of what Jesus (Bless Him) are "plagiarized" from Judaism? As a Muslim it is an article of faith for me (and I mean that in the technical sense of the word) that ALL of Judaism and Christianity is "plagiarized" into Islam, if that's what you want to call it.

Also, folks; one of the most beautiful things I have heard in my life are the opening lines of the Pater Noster; especially when chanted in English, and in unison by a group, with obvious faith.

One of the most profound things from the Muslim traditions--the only hadith I have, committed to memory in the original Arabic--is this one:

"On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said : a man said to the prophet :

"Counsel me". He said : " Do not become angry". The man repeated [his request] several times, and he said: "Do not become angry ".

narrated by Bukhari"
[Quoted from An Nawawi's Collection: http://www.islamworld.net/nawawi.html#hadith16]

Pamela,

But there is the issue of giving proper references. Considering the "sameness" of much in the koran to that in the bible etc., one concludes that much of the koran is plagiarized from the ancients.

Sorry the reference for the Prophet's prayer is:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 221

It is not surprising that there is a similarity in the expressions of devotion to God in different religions... after all we are all reaching out to the same Divine Other, and we are all humans with the same yearnings for connection to that Divine within our hearts.

Pamela,

You did not give the koranic reference. It sures looks like something taken from the ancient religions.

"O Allah! Unto You do I submit, in You do I believe, upon You do I depend, unto You do I turn. For You do I contend, unto You do I seek judgment. So forgive me what I have done and what I will do, for what I have concealed and what I have done openly, and for that of which You are more knowledgeable than me."

Me thinks it rings like the Pater Noster!!!!

" Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen."

But again realizing "prophets" made prophecies for profits and that today they are called fortune tellers, one wonders about it all.

From Allah comes all things, great and terrible. To Him do we belong and to Him do we surely return.

One of my favorite duas from the Prophet is this one:

All Praise is due to You, O Allah! You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Praise be to You. You are the light of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Praise be to you.

You are the Truth. Your promise is true, meeting with You is true, Your word is true, Paradise is true, Hell is true, Prophets are true, Muhammad is true, the Hour is true.

O Allah! Unto You do I submit, in You do I believe, upon You do I depend, unto You do I turn. For You do I contend, unto You do I seek judgment. So forgive me what I have done and what I will do, for what I have concealed and what I have done openly, and for that of which You are more knowledgeable than me.

You are the expediter and You are the deferrer. There is no deity but You. And there is no ability or power, save by the leave of God.

when things are easy, alhamdoulilah, when things are difficult, alhamdoulilah